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Midweek Action: The goals absolutely flew in on Tuesday and Wednesday
evening earlier this week, with Shepton Mallet’s 4-4 draw with Torpoint in the
Premier Division an indication of what was to come. In what was a wild game,
Shepton flew out of the blocks and led by two goals to nil after just nine minutes
thanks to Danny Constable and Sam Jordan. Jasper Jones then added a third for
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the hosts in the 20 minute as they looked to arrest a five-match winless run.
However, despite adding a further goal at the beginning of the second half through
Constable, Mallet found themselves hanging on for a point after an incredible
second half surge from their visitors. Top scorer Curtis Damerell and Ryan Richards
each got on the scoresheet for Torpoint, with Sam Hillson also helping to reduce
the deficit, before he then struck again in the closing stages to make it four apiece.
That was how it remained and both sides were forced to make do with sharing the
spoils at the end of a pulsating 90 minutes. The following evening, two goals apiece
from Kameron Andrews and Jake Mawford led Street to a 4-2 win over
Wellington. Both players scored in added time at the end of the first half to make
it 2-0 at interval before a long-range free kick from Eli Collins got Wellington on the
board just moments after the restart. After Mawford struck again, there was a late
goal for Jamie Nicholson, but the Cobblers had the last word with Andrews
completing his brace in stoppage time to wrap up the win.
It was a huge night atop the First Division on Tuesday, with Brislington laying
down a real marker by beating fellow title challengers Nailsea & Tickenham 4-0.
Despite playing away from home, Brislington’s win streak was never really under
threat from the moment Asa White converted a tenth minute penalty. Lewis Dunn
doubled the visitor’s advantage midway through the first half, with Oaklan Buck and
Saturday’s six-goal hero George Jones then adding further distance between the
sides in the early stages of the second period. Wells City remain fully ensconced
in the race for top spot after they secured an impressive 3-2 win away at Bishop
Sutton. Efforts by James Bayliss and Michael Duffy had put Wells two goals to the
good, before the home side pulled a goal back on the cusp of half-time through
Ethan Ballantine. An excellent finish from Charlie Crook then restored City’s two-
goal advantage, and that proved crucial in the closing stages after Jacob Reader
grabbed a late goal for Sutton. The game at Wincanton also finished 3-2 that
evening, with the hosts holding on to beat fellow top-six side Shirehampton. It
was Kye Simpson and Shirehampton who made the first move, poking home in the
17 minute, before Town hit back through Louis Irwin and Matt Garner to lead at
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the interval. Ollie Crisp then stretched Wincanton’s lead further, with substitute
Cody Winkler firing home a consolation for the away side deep into second half
stoppage time. 24 hours later, attention turned to the opposite end of the division,
with Bishops Lydeard hanging on to beat Portishead 3-2 to move off the foot
of the table. After George Sinnott handed them an early lead, Harry Scott then
scored a 35-yard screamer midway through the second to half to put the Lyds two-
up. Portishead threatened a fightback when they halved the deficit 15 from time,
but then sub Liam Scovell put the result beyond doubt with a late slotted finish just
moments after stepping off the bench.
Wednesday’s other tie saw Hengrove come out on top in a seven-goal thriller
away at FC Bristol. After goals from Jennison Myrie-Williams and Kinsly Murray
had put the hosts in command, Hengrove hit back to level towards the end of the
first half thanks to a pair of quick fire efforts from Regan Burton and Luca Bailey. A